Friday Briefing: Gaetz Ends Bid for Attorney General

Matt Gaetz yesterday abruptly withdrew from consideration to become attorney general, a week after President-elect Donald Trump picked him as a potential nominee. It is Trump’s first major political setback since he was elected.

Gaetz has faced a raft of sexual misconduct allegations, which he has consistently denied. He was the subject of a House ethics investigation, but the panel deadlocked on Wednesday over releasing its findings. He was also under investigation by the Justice Department for allegations of sex trafficking involving an underage girl, though he was never charged. The Times obtained documents from the inquiry.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote, announcing his withdrawal on social media. He insisted that he had strong support among fellow Republicans, but two people with direct knowledge of Gaetz’s thinking said he made the decision to pull out after concluding that he would not have enough votes in the Senate.

Details: Investigators established a web of payments between Gaetz and dozens of people who were said to have taken part in drug-fueled sex parties with him from 2017 to 2020. Among them was a woman who was 17 at the time, according to people familiar with the case.